On April 22, the Mounds View gym was full of geometry students preparing for their final project: gigantic blow-up shapes.

Mounds View Geometry students have spent time in class and out of class for a week to prepare for “build day.” This took place in the gym and lasted the whole day, replacing the students’ final exam for the unit.

Spending many hours in class and setting up their final product on Friday, the Giant Inflatable project was a massive success. As students were preparing to inflate their 3D shapes, geometry teachers went around asking students questions about surface area and the volume of their shape. While working on their project, students learned that time management is crucial. “You have to come completely prepared on Build Day,” said Laila Bushagour, 9. “If you have no idea what the dimensions of your shape will be or how much plastic you will need, you will fall behind.”

Students had mixed feelings about how they felt about the event in the end, but many agreed that the experience was, at the very least, quite different from a typical assignment. The time commitment for preparation was several hours for most groups, but it was able to make the gym balloon with energy for the day.